Reginald Morington
A slaver and former member of the Crystal Truth movement, Reginald is something of an oddity in the flesh trade. He claims to do it to bring the about the most happiness, a distinction his merchandise doesn't seem to appreciate. Biography Born to brick-layers and laborers on the Western Slants, Reginald was the third of five children. Growing up he was often ignored by his parents and siblings, both of whom were usually tending to the meager garden that family partially depended on for survival.When he was six his parents took him with them and his older brothers. He would carry the mortar bucket between his mom who mixed it, and his dad and brothers who laid the bricks. After two days of carrying the bucket his arms ached and he told his dad he didn't want to work like that anymore. His father, a laborer for most of his life, told him that he better go find something in the ruins, because you to work to eat in that house. He then waved his son into a street behind where they were working, and told him to look. He would then return to work for several minutes, and when he turned back Reginald was gone. He called out twice, but the boy didn't respond. Intending simply to scare the boy, Reginald's father never thought his six year old would venture into the ruins. He wouldn't get far in his panic however, as Reginald soon returned, carrying a ham radio set. Unaware of his father's concern, he placed the device at his feet. True to his word, Reginald no longer had to carry the bucket, though his scavenging had to be within shouting range. He would find several other valuable items, but mostly returned with junk from his trips, though his parents still congratulated him anyway. these trips also allowed his mind to wander and dream about exploring the ruins he saw off in the distance. His brothers would grow to resent Reginald for these trips, having to work hard while he played in the debris and ruins. When a daughter was born to the family in 2245, Reginald's parents told him he would either have to work like the rest of them, or leave home so there would be enough for everyone. Egged on by his brothers, Reginald chose the latter and headed out with little more than the clothes on his back. He would make it the edge of the Seattle ruins before night and made camp in a small house, his stomach growling as he struggled to sleep. His fortune would change dramatically the next day, as he encountered a pair of missionaries the next morning who told him of their religion. Their talking points intrigued him and he would be given a crude map of the ruins with their church circled. Reginald managed to navigate the debris and raiders and arrived at The Church of The Crystal Truth. It used to be a pizzeria but gutted by the movement to accommodate a small gathering, the humbleness of it lending it an air of gravitas. He would be so dazzled by the Crystal Whispers that he heard and the Resonator's promises of a "beautiful crystal truth" for the seeing. Reginald would beg the Resonator to see the truth after the latter was done speaking. Religious Training The holy man would interview Reginald for a short while before directing him to the group's headquarters, a small mansion on the western side of the ruins. After receiving a small blessing from the Resonator Reginald set off across the cityscape towards the coast. After two days of traversing he arrived at the compound, and was even more impressed than he expected to be. The house had clearly been damaged in the War, but it was upheld by an impressive array of repairs, patches and buttresses. The interior was much sparser, consisting of a simple kitchen with wooden stove, and ice box, and several wooden chairs. He would be interrupted in his exploring by a voice behind him. He turned around to see Quentin Lowe, The founder of the Crystal Truth. He would usher Reginald into a world of faith and introspection, as well as gave him his own crystal, which Quentin said would resonate with him as long as he kept it near. The next two years for some of the most formative and Reginald would often look back upon them with fondness. It was during this time that he would come across John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism, which he founds surprisingly similar to the Crystal Path. Lowe would praise his curiosity when he found Reginald reading it, and told him that he based the Crystal Truth partly off of the book. In between his chores and missionary work Reginald would pour over the work, taking some questions to Lowe when he could see him. The older man would answer Reginald with his own philosophy on some issues, mostly regarding the sale of crystals and calculation of hedons. Reginald would hold onto these thoughts for the next few months as he began his outdoor missionary phase. He would even give away several crystals for free, drawing reproach from those further along The Path. Reginald would return to his home on mission in 2249, finding only his oldest brother and youngest sister still there, with the others having died from raiders. He embraced them and handed them each a focusing crystal for their healing. They would reject the gift and ask for something useful instead. Offended, Reginald tried to list the intangible benefits the crystals provided, but his siblings simply tossed them aside and turned back to their work. Thus rejected, Reginald returned to the Movement's compound in order to focus himself. He would never see any family member again. Diving into his work, he would move quickly through the Movement's hierarchy, until he reached about halfway along along the path. His ascension was blocked by Lowe himself, as he thought Reginald couldn't handle the real truth. They wouldn't find out however as Reginald, frustrated at the lack of proselytizing the Movement attempted, stole two pouches of crystals and snuck out of the compound in the dead of night, heading east towards the slants. Hoping to help the small townships spirtitually, he wouldn't make it out of the ruins before a slaver band had him in chains. Slave Trade Reginald was captured by a small outfit along with three tribals and another waster from the ruins. The slavers would march them for three day back to their camp in the woods, the entire time of which Reginald was trying to connect with his fellow prisoners. The waster seemed like a decent person, a family man and scaver from Chinatown, but the tribals were ignorant, debased savages in Reginald's opinion. They had no concept of hospitality or mercy and were cannibals, talking longingly of the travelers who they'd used to eat that stumbled upon their camp. They also prayed regularly to the spirit totems that they carried around their necks, which looked to be scrap figurines. Reginald would stay close to the Scaver and guards, figuring they would save him in case the tribals snapped as it would be the most profitable option. When they arrived at the slaver camp they were seperated, with Reginald being put in a large crate with one of the tribals, Turm. Appearance Born with fair hair and looks, he has aged surprisingly well for a man in his trade; his hair full and healthy despite the white that permeates it; his face has few wrinkles and gives off a jovial warmth and his brown eyes seem to be smiling; he usually dresses in khaki, though he will put on brahmin-skin clothes on cooler or rainy days. Beliefs Reginald is an Act Utilitarian doing whatever he can to bring about the greatest amount of hedons in a situation. His interest in morals and ethics began in his teens when he a member of the Crystal Truth, but felt the group didn't bring about enough happiness in their actions. He is not a true Utilitarian as some of his beliefs were inspired by the movement's founder, such as the calculation of future hedons from 'what ifs'. He views slavery as filling a specific need that is often acceptable, but will pass up potential bodies if he feels that it would create more pain to take them into bondage. This of course often works to the detriment of most tribals, as he often views them of imminent peril. He views chems as both a positive and negative, thus carrying a varying amount of hedons depending on the situation. Category:Raiders Category:Characters